


Alternative Moments

by catielouu



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catielouu/pseuds/catielouu
Summary: The addition of four new characters shifts the storyline slightly, creates new romances that cross houses, and a lot of new sibling dynamics.The Story begins in Chamber of Secrets and will go until the end of the series hopefully!It follows the books, with the storyline only being slightly altered, but the dynamics are completely shifted and the whole thing is told from the perspective of four new girls.NEW ROMANCES ARE (RAVENCLAW & SLYTHERIN) (GRYFFINDOR & GRYFFINDOR) (HUFFLEPUFF & SLYTHERIN) (HUFFLEPUFF & GRYFFINDOR)Lizzy Smythe (1st year Ravenclaw in COS)Pippa Potter (1st year Gryffindor in COS)Elara Lovegood (2nd year Hufflepuff in COS)Callidora Longbottom (4th year Hufflepuff in COS)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is also posted on FanFiction.net - my username on that is MidnightMoments 
> 
> Hope you enjoy x

1st September 1992

 

“I just don’t understand why I need to run through a wall” Lizzy states after her mother has explained the entrance to platform nine and three quarters to her, again.

“I just don't see how muggles aren’t supposed to notice us. I mean, if I saw someone run into a wall and disappear I would definitely have a few questions. I thought we were supposed to be keeping the wizarding world a secret, not displaying it in a very public muggle station for all to see.” She explains.

She knows she is just coming up with excuses to postpone the inevitable, but she doesn’t care.

“Look Lizzy, I know your scared, but we have 15 minutes until the train goes and you need to be on it.”

She stares at the wall a little longer. Other students have come and gone through the wall since she has been standing there, all towering over her. She hadn’t felt so small in all her life. 11 years old, though it was only a few days until her 12th birthday. She stood just short of 5 feet tall and her muggle clothes were pristine and polished. Her hair was tied up in a perfect high ponytail with a green ribbon around it. She didn't know which house she would be sorted into, but her mother had been a Slytherin, so it was only right for her to assume she would be too.

Just as Lizzy was building up the courage to go through the wall, another brunette girl, who clearly looked like a first year arrived wearing a similar confused expression to one Lizzy was sporting only a few minutes ago.  
“So I’m just supposed to go through it?” The girl asked herself as she began squaring up to the wall.

She moved her trolley of belongings back and forth as if lining up a shot in some muggle sport before concluding that the instructions she had been given were ludicrous and giving up.  
“Come on now, we haven’t got all day” Her mother said.

“Fine” Lizzy muttered under her breath before running towards the wall.

She got millimeters between her trolley and the wall before she backed out. However, what she hadn’t been banking on was the other girl following her lead and running towards the wall directly behind her.

The second girls trolley rammed into the back of Lizzy and knocked the wind out of her and she, along with her trolley, went flying through the barrier with a now stumbling stranger close behind, with her trolley causing all luggage to go flying.

Lizzy’s mother followed the girls through the wall at a far more controlled pace and helped to fix the luggage catastrophe with a flick of her wand.

“Sorry” the second girl hurried out with before standing up quickly and brushing her skirt down with one hand whist holding the other one out for Lizzy to take.

Lizzy took the girls hand and stood up.

“I’m Pippa” the other girl said with a smile.

Pippa was also around the 5-foot mark with brown hair that hadn’t been corralled into her ponytail quite as successfully as Lizzy’s had. Her clothes were very presentable, but clearly more worn that Lizzy’s were. She had been around muggles more often.

“Hi, I’m Lizzy” she said returning Pippa’s smile. “And this is my mum, Ariella” 

“Call me Ari” the older witch said.

“Come on girls, only a few minutes until the train leaves, you need to take your seats on the train.” Ari instructed before the girls got too flustered and embarrassed about what had just happened. Lizzy’s cheeks had already begun to turn crimson.

The girls loaded their trunks and other belonging onto the train. Pippa taking her seat in an empty carriage and Lizzy giving a goodbye hug and kiss to her mother before joining her. She didn’t like the idea of having to say goodbye to her mother, but she knew Hogwarts was where she needed to be.

 

“Sorry about earlier, I didn’t think you would back out” Pippa blurted out feeling the need to fill the silence.

“It’s alright, let’s just not talk about it or I’ll go red again” Lizzy informed her before looking back out the window.

They hadn’t been on the train for long, but they had already begun sailing through the British countryside.

“So, Lizzy, your mum’s a witch too, that's cool, is your dad?” Pippa enquired.

Lizzy noted there was nothing behind the question. The girl wasn’t trying to gather intel on her for later use, she was just genuinely curious.

“I don’t know” she answered honestly. “I don't know who my dad is. I used to ask mum a lot, but she would get angrier and angrier each time I would ask, so I gave up.” She finished looking down at her hands. She was picking at her nails, a nervous or uncomfortable habit she’d picked up as a small child and never could get rid of.

“Sorry, again, god I swear I use that word way too much. Anyway, if it helps, my parents are dead, or at least I think they are, I never met them. I was raised by a muggle foster family. I don't know if my parents had magic or not.” Pippa tells Lizzy with a reassuring smile.

Lizzy looked up from her hands to meet Pippa’s eyes. 

“Are they nice?” Lizzy asked simply.

“Oh, um, yeah, I guess. They are very quiet compared to me, but they’re fine.”

For the rest of the journey the girls talk about the differences between being raised with magic and being raised without. Pippa told Lizzy about when realized she was different to all the other girls in her class at muggle school. One day they were having an arts and crafts day and this horrible girl took all the nice paints for her and her friends to use. Pippa got so angry she wished the paints would explode in the girl’s face, and within seconds of the thought being formed in her head, a big pot of paint exploded right in the girl’s face. She was sneezing purple for a week.

They talked about what houses they might end up in, and what they thought the castle would be like. About half way through the journey they thought they saw a small old blue muggle looking car flying alongside the train swinging around like the driver hadn’t even driven before. It quickly flew out of sight and the girls were trying to decide whether they imagined it or not.

 

They changed into their robes not long before the train arrived at Hogsmede and followed the call of a giant looking hairy man along with the other first years.

The large man, who called himself Hagrid informed them that whilst all other years make their way to the castle on self-ridden carriages, the first years take boats across the lake.

They all poured into these little wooden boats. Lizzy and Pippa got in a boat with a very pale blonde girl and a slightly less pale red headed girl. 

The castle looked beautiful all internally lit at night. It was clear why first years got to see this view. The blonde girl was in complete and utter awe the whole time. The red head looked a little confused, almost like she had been told to expect something very different. The two brunettes were just quietly trying to calm their nerves and excitement.

“I’m Pippa”, Pippa announced clearly wanting to begin a conversation between the girls.

“I’m Luna” the blonde proclaimed not taking her eyes off the castle in front of her.

“Ginny” the red head spoke.

“And I’m Lizzy, did you know there is a giant squid in this lake?” Lizzy stated feeling the need to give a topic of conversation.

“I doubt it. My brothers told me about that, but they also told me the castle was the building they based Azkaban on, so I don't believe it. Ginny commented huffing into her hands.

“Well my mum told me about it and she wouldn't lie to me about that so I’m sure it’s true.” Lizzy replied.

“I want to see it” Pippa stated in a very matter of fact way. “How do we get its attention?”

“you sing to it of course” Luna commented.

Pippa immediately began to sing to the water trying to call the squid over. Ginny and Lizzy exchanged looks of confusion at the idea that this would work, but whether it was the singing, or Pippa’s hand dancing across the top of the water, they had managed to attract the attention of something under the water.

“Okay you can stop that now Pippa, what part of giant squid doesn’t terrify you?” Lizzy exclaimed.

“You’re not scared are you Lizzy?” she replied before continuing to call the sea creature towards them. Within a matter of seconds the water broke and the squid nudged their boat as it popped its head out of the water.  
“EEEKKKK” Lizzy squealed before frantically trying to move away from the squid.

She lost her balance very quickly and began to tumble out of the boat. Ginny went to grab her hand but wasn’t fast enough. Lizzy hit the water hard.

Whist this was happening, Pippa was laughing so heavily that she managed to fall off the other side of the small boat. Luna sat there watching them in pure amazement and Ginny tried to haul the two soaking wet girls back into the boat.

Lizzy was going to yell at her if Pippa hadn’t fallen in herself. She was still rolling around in the bottom of the boat laughing hard, which caused the other girls to break out into laughter too.

“I think I’m going to need to get used to being injured and being put into embarrassing situations if I’m going to be friends with you Pippa” Lizzy announced.

“So you’re not mad?” Pippa replies sheepishly.

“Not this time”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it - I the first 6 chapters written so they should be coming out soon - please comment and give kudos if you liked it, it really keeps me motivated to keep writing.
> 
> I'm happy to take suggestions on things, but this is a collaborative story between my friends and I, I am just the one bringing together everyone's ideas and writing it. I can assure you that some elements stretching up to book 7 have been decided and finalised so this will be a bloody long story if I can do it!!
> 
> So hopefully we can take this journey together x


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived at the castle, they shuffled along the path to the entrance of the castle. They were greeted by one of the professors who introduced herself as McGonagall. She scanned the group of first years until she spotted a still dripping Lizzy and Pippa trying to hide at the back of the crowd. Without uttering a spell, she flicked her wand and the girls became instantly dry again. Feeling satisfied she addressed the group of students collectively.

Professor McGonagall explained how they will go into the hall, and that they would be sorted into their houses.

“What house do you think you’ll be in? I haven’t got a clue” Pippa asked the girls in a hushed whisper.

“My sister is a Hufflepuff, so maybe that one” Luna commented.

Lizzy nodded in agreement with that, she saw the odd little blonde fitting in well with that house.

“Well I have 6 brothers, and they all are or were in Gryffindor, so I have to be in that one, right?” Ginny states clearly nervous at the thought of her not joining her family in their house.

“Well my mum was a Slytherin, so I’m sure that's where I’ll be, I’ve never even considered being in any other house.” Stated Lizzy.

Professor McGonagall opened the doors to the great hall and all the first years followed her as they hurried down the length of the room passing the four house tables to gather around a small stool with the sorting hat atop in front of the head table filled with all the other professors.

The hat proceeded to sing a song about the four houses followed by Professor McGonagall announcing that the sorting would be done alphabetically. 

It was a little while until they got to the first of the four girls. It had been quite an even mix of students in each house by this point.

“Luna Lovegood” called Professor McGonagall.

Luna stepped forward and sat down whilst the hat was placed on her head.

The hat then began talking, but just to her whilst it made its decision.

“Hmm, a very interesting head you have. The joy of a Hufflepuff indeed, and I see a sister in that house, but your curiosity and creativity will thrive in Ravenclaw. I see you being gravely underestimated. Hmm, I must go with RAVENCLAW!” the hat decided saying the last word loud enough for the whole hall to here.

Luna looked mildly surprised but happy with her house. She looked across to the Hufflepuff table where a slightly deflated blonde, her sister, sat giving her a small smile, before walking towards the Ravenclaw table to join her house.

A few more students went before it was Pippa’s turn.

“Philippa Potter”

“Hang on, your name is Pippa Potter” Lizzy whispered with excitement into Pippa’s ear whilst trying to stifle a laugh before the girl could head to the stall.

“Shut up” Pippa quipped back as she walked off.

The room had gone a lot quieter than it did with the other students. Everyone was staring at her with strong interest.

“Hmm, bravery, definitely bravery in your head. There has only ever been one house to focus your family. GRYFFINDOR” the hat proclaimed.

With slight hesitation, Pippa considered what the hat said about her family, and with the eyes of everyone in the room staring at her, she headed to the Gryffindor table.

“I didn’t know Harry had a sister” someone spoke to Pippa as she sat down at the table.

“Who's Harry?” she asked before being shushed whilst the other students were being sorted.

Five more students were sorted before it was Lizzy’s go.

“Elizabeth Smythe”

Lizzy took some tentative steps forward as she approached the stool.

“Hmm, very torn your head. On one hand the cunning side of you leans towards Slytherin, but your desire for knowledge would suggest Ravenclaw. You have both Slytherin and Gryffindor in your family.”

“Who’s the Gryffindor in my family?” Lizzy asked the hat before she could stop herself.

“Hmm, your inquisitiveness makes me certain of my decision. RAVENCLAW” the hat stated giving Lizzy no answer to her question.

She almost refused to get off the stool to ask the hat more questions before realising everyone is staring at her so quickly headed to the Ravenclaw table taking a seat next to Luna.

Ginny was the last one to be sorted. A few redheads dotted along the Gryffindor table cheer as she went up to get sorted. 

The hat didn’t even debate with her. It took less than a second of landing on her head before declaring “GRYFFINDOR” and Ginny, with a very relieved smile headed to the Gryffindor table sitting opposite an increasingly annoyed Pippa. 

“Ginny, who is Harry?” Pippa asked ignoring the stares of those around them.

“Um, what, I, uh, Harry who? How would I know?” Ginny stuttered out looking very sheepish and embarrassed.

“Isn’t he best friends with your brother?” a Gryffindor boy sitting next to her asked.

“Oh, uh, that Harry, Harry Potter” 

“Well they keep telling me he’s my brother, I don't have a brother, I’ve never even heard of this kid” Pippa protested.

“How have you never heard of Harry? He’s the most famous Wizard of our generation!” a girl further down the table exclaimed.

“I was raised by muggles” she stated.

“Where even is Harry, and Ron?” asked one red headed twin.

“They weren’t even on the train” said the other one.

“Fred and George, my twin brothers” Ginny stated whilst gesturing to the boys staring Pippa down trying to see if she looked like Harry.

“Well get them to stop staring at me. I don't have a brother, and wouldn’t you all know if Harry had a sister if he is this famous?”

“Leave her alone” Ginny instructed her brothers.

They eat the feast with everyone around the hall constantly flicking their attention to Pippa, whilst others try to figure out why Harry isn’t there.

 

Percy, who Ginny informs Pippa is another one of her brothers, leads the first-year Gryffindor’s to their common room. 

When they enter, the common room, they are greeted by a red headed boy and a boy with a mop of messy brown hair and glasses sitting in big armchairs in a corner of the room.

“That's Harry, next to my brother Ron” Ginny whispered to Pippa.

The twins were quick to follow the new Gryffindors into the common room not wanting to miss what was inevitable.

“So Harry, you didn’t tell us you have a little sister.” One of them proclaimed.

“What are you taking about George?” asked Harry.

“Well, this” Fred begins before pulling Pippa forward by her shoulders “is Philippa-”

“Pippa”, Pippa cut in saying.

“Okay, Pippa Potter, and we can’t help but notice how much she looks like you” Fred finished before placing Pippa in front of the boy they kept calling her brother.

Harry stood up looking at the girl that he couldn’t help but admit did share some of his features.

“I’m Harry” he announced with an outstretched hand.

“Pippa” she replied quietly shaking his hand.

By this point Ginny had moved to sit by her brother Ron who gave her a nod of acknowledgement for making it in Gryffindor before turning his attention back to his best friend. People were beginning to gather around them whilst they just stood staring at each other trying to reason it all in their heads.

A girl with long brown frizzy hair had bustled her way through the crowd when entering the common room and stood in between a seated Ron and a standing Harry.

“What took you so long Hermione?” Ron asked hoping she could explain the confusion.

“I was directing a few straggling first years to their common rooms, anyway where were you two on the train? I was worried sick” Hermione asked.

“The platform was shut, we flew dad’s car, he’s gunna kill us when he hears we wrecked the bloody thing” Ron replied.

“You wrecked Dads car?” Ginny asked in shock.

Pippa began to think if it was the car she saw out of the train window, but then went straight back to the matter at hand. The room fell silent.

“Harry I thought you didn’t have a sister” Ron blurted out to cut the silence.

“I don't” Harry insisted. “Do I?”

“I think you’d know if you had a sister Harry, it’s not that uncommon to meet someone else with the same last name as you, and yeah you look a little alike but come on, brown messy hair isn’t enough to be related, if it was then I would be your sister.” Said Hermione.

“yeah Hermione, your right” Harry tried to reason.

By this point the rest of the first year’s, bar Ginny, had been hurried by Percy up to their dorm rooms, and the twins were trying to place wagers with people on whether the Potters were related or not. Professor McGonagall entered the common room through the portrait hole to see her house’s students gathered around the two Potters.

“Miss Potter and Mr Potter, follow me please” she instructed.

“Okay, something really weird is happening now” Ron said.

The two students followed Professor McGonagall out of the room silently whilst everyone stared at them.

 

“Professor, where are we going?” Harry asked unable to keep his eyes from flicking to those of his potential sister who was walking, head slightly down, alongside him.

“Professor Dumbledore has requested your presence in his office.” She informed them.

Pippa began to panic about why she is being called to the head master’s office. It was only her first day, yes she had fallen into the lake, but surely it wasn’t that bad of an offence, and why was Harry with them? He couldn’t really be her brother, could he?

When they reached Professor Dumbledore’s office, they approached his desk with Pippa slightly behind.

“Harry, good to see you again, I’m sure your summer went well.”

“Sir, what’s going on?” Harry asks.

“It has come to my attention Harry, that we have not been entirely truthful with you.” Spoke Professor Dumbledore in his usual calm and collected manor.

“I’m sorry Sir, but I don’t know what you mean?”

“I’m afraid to say Harry, it has only recently come to my attention, that when Hagrid delivered you to the Dersley’s that evening, he had not been the first person to take a child from Grimmauld place that night.”

Harry and Pippa kept staring at the professor with complete bewilderment as he continued to explain.

“It would appear, that whilst in hiding, Lily and James had conceived another child. This time, a little girl” Dumbledore explained whilst gesturing to Pippa.

“She was taken and delivered to the care of another muggle family.”

The room was silent. Pippa was trying hard to fight back tears at the mention of her early life. She had come to accept that she didn’t have any family, and now she was being told she had a brother. It was all too much to handle. Harry wasn’t faring much better, but was able to still get some words out.

“Who took her?” Harry asked, still not looking at his sister.

“I’m am not at liberty to discuss such details with you, but I can assure you my sources are reliable, and that you two are in fact, brother and sister.”

“I, uh, I don't understand” Pippa finally managed to squeak out, her voice cracking as she did so.

“I suggest you two spend a little time getting to know each other tonight, but not too much time, classes start promptly tomorrow morning.”

Harry turned to Pippa, despite how shocked and confused he was, he couldn’t help but feel for her, and how she must’ve been feeling. He didn’t know how much she knew about him, but he knew he wanted to explain his side before she heard about him from everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me, hope you enjoyed chapter two
> 
> Please remember to comment and give kudos, it honestly does motivate me beyond anything else (call me vain haha)
> 
> Thanks again for reading x


	3. Chapter 3

Lizzy could see a lot of attention being drawn to Pippa over on the Gryffindor table. When hearing the girl’s last name was Potter, the thought that she might be related to the infamous Harry had crossed her mind, but surely the girl would have known that fact about herself.

As much as she wanted to know more about what was happening to Pippa, she put the thought to one side for the night, as in that moment, she was more concerned with the blonde sitting next to her. Luna didn't seem sad to be in Ravenclaw, she didn’t look like someone who regularly showed emotion. It was more a sense of intrigue, as to why she had been sorted where she was.

“Luna, are you surprised to be in Ravenclaw?” she asked.

“A little, I guess. I know you don’t get sorted based on your family, so I shouldn’t expect to be in Hufflepuff with Elara, but we are very similar” she stated whilst looking around at the feast.

“What about you? You said you were going to be in Slytherin.”

“Oh, well I guess I just assumed I would be like my mother, but the hat didn’t agree with me.” 

“Hmm, I guess we will just have to wait to see why the hat put us here.”

They continued the feast with light conversation going about here and there. People were introducing themselves to each other, but Lizzy couldn’t concentrate on what they were all saying. Her attention was firmly locked on an increasingly agitated looking Pippa, whose whole house couldn’t seem to leave her alone.

After the feast, Lizzy and Luna, along with the other first year Ravenclaws’ were led by a prefect to their common room. The number of stairs it required to get to the very top of the castle, where the common room was located, was already beginning to annoy Lizzy. Did they really expect her to walk up all these stairs every day did they?

The girls didn’t get too much time to soak up the beauty of their common room, as they wanted to get settled into their rooms and try to get a grips of the castle before lessons the next day. They quickly discovered they were roommates, much to Luna’s joy, and a slight distaste on Lizzy’s behalf. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Luna, but she had never met someone like her, and not being able to understand what made this girl tick was already starting to unnerve her.

 

2nd September 1992

Lizzy awoke just as the sun was rising, much to Lizzy’s annoyance. Normally she would have struggled to get back to sleep, but first day nerves had her feeling too restless, so she decided to get up early, maybe she could begin to figure out the castle, she guessed that had been Luna’s plan too, since the blonde was nowhere to be seen.

Just as she was leaving her room after getting dressed in her new Ravenclaw robes, the door opened, and a still sleeping Luna, wearing her pyjamas and old colourful converse, wandered gracefully into the room before clambering back into bed.

Lizzy made a mental note to keep an eye on that girl before heading out the still open door and closing it gently behind her.

As she began to wander the castle, her stomach just wouldn't keep quiet, and even some of the portraits began to comment on it, so she gave in and headed to the great hall hoping breakfast was already being served.

When she entered the room, she saw a small scattering of students from all houses spread out around the room. A minimal spread was laid out for the early comers before the rest of the students would fill the hall.

She sat away from any other Ravenclaws on her house table near where she sat the night before and began to look over her schedule and map to keep her mind occupied whilst eating some jam on toast. It wasn’t long until a mop of long brown messy hair plopped itself down next to her sporting the red crest of the Gryffindor robes.

Lizzy looked up to see a very tired and slightly disgruntled looking Pippa.

“Good morning” she spoke, having a feeling it was all the prodding the girl would need to spill what has caused this behaviour.

“He’s my brother” is all she said.

Lizzy continued to stare at Pippa waiting for her to provide a little more context, though she was sure she could figure out the rest for herself.

“I wasn’t raised with magic, I had never heard of ‘Harry Potter, the boy who lived’ before yesterday, and now he’s my brother.”

“I think he’s always been your brother, you just didn’t know about it.”

Pippa didn’t respond, instead she chose to take the toast out of Lizzy’s hand and eat it in protest of the girl’s remark.

“I’m just saying” Lizzy defended herself with.

“How can I go from being a muggle only child with adopted parents one year, to a witch with a famous wizard for a brother the next?” Pippa asked whilst continuing to eat Lizzy’s toast.

Lizzy, giving up on getting her breakfast back, proceeded to get some more toast before simply replying with “I don't know”.

“Please say something weird happened to you too last night so I’m not the only one.”

“Well, the sorting hat decided to tell me I have family that was in Gryffindor, but I don't understand how since my mum was Slytherin and the rest of her family went to a different wizarding school.”

“There are other wizarding schools?” Pippa queried.

“Yeah, there’s a few, Mum went to Bauxbattons in France before transferring to Hogwarts. Anyway, I think it means my dad must have gone to school here, and he must have been a Gryffindor, or someone in his family must have been, but I don't know who he was.”

Pippa doesn’t need to say anything back to this, she gets it. She may have been raised by two parents, but she too didn’t know who her birth parents were, until yesterday that was.

Pippa, deciding not to let their families get in the way of the first day of school, moved the conversation along to their timetables whilst they continued to eat. They discovered they had most of their classes together to their delight.

The girls finished their breakfasts but continued to sit at the Ravenclaw table chatting as other students began to file in. Luna made her way over to the girls without announcing herself. She quietly took a seat opposite the girls and gave a smile of acknowledgement at them both. She then proceeded to get herself a bowl of porridge before humming quietly to herself whilst looking around the hall with great interest.

Lizzy and Pippa looked from Luna to each other giving subtle inquisitive glances before averting their attention back to the peculiar blonde in front of them. 

“Morning Luna” Lizzy spoke, not being able to take the silence.

Luna focused her gaze from the enchanted ceiling above them to Lizzy’s face before speaking.

“Morning Lizzy, morning Pippa. I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation. Please, feel free to continue.” Luna punctuated the sentence by spooning some porridge into her mouth and smiling right after swallowing.

Both girls continued to look at her with slight perplexity whilst Luna resumed her wonder filled gazes.

It was mere seconds until an unknown Hufflepuff plopped herself down next to Luna giving her a slight nudge in attempt to bring her back down to reality. She was quite tall, hair blonde matching Luna’s, if not a little shorter, and if it wasn’t for the way she was acting, Lizzy would have guessed she was also a first year, but she could tell this girl was older than them.

“Elara!” Luna exclaimed when she finally acknowledged the presence of the girl next to her.

“Hey Luna” Elara spoke before pulling the young Ravenclaw into a hug.

“I really hoped you would have been in Hufflepuff with me, but Ravenclaw makes sense too I guess.” She continued.

Lizzy and Pippa continued to watch the blondes talk, not aware that they were staring. Lizzy remembered Luna saying something about a sister in Hufflepuff, and it didn’t take much for her to realise that was who was sat in front of her.

“Hi, sorry you girls have no idea who I am” Elara said to the staring faces.

“I’m Elara Lovegood, Luna’s sister” She spoke offering a wide smile as greeting like her sister had just minutes before.

“I’m Pippa”

“Ah, you're the girl everyone’s talking about” Elara spoke with no awareness of her words.

“Don't worry,” she added to the worried looking first year. “None of its bad. Just confusion mostly.”

“I’m Lizzy”

Elara’s focus shifted to the other girl. With the attention off her, Pippa noticeably relaxed and gave Lizzy a small smile of thanks that she could see out of the corner of her eye.

“Luna and I are roommates.” She added needing to fill the silence.

“Ah, so you're the one I need to warn about my little Luna’s sleeping habit. Don't worry if she isn’t there in the middle of the night. She’s been sleepwalking for years now. She’s never been hurt or gone anywhere she shouldn't so there’s nothing to worry about. I know Luna wouldn’t have thought to warn you though.” Elara explained.

“Why warn of something so natural?” Luna questioned.

“Because it freaks other people out” Elara responded bluntly. It was clear they’d had this conversation before.

“It’s okay, I saw her come back this morning.”

“Good, just remember, she’s like a cat, she always comes back.” Elara joked with smirk.

It wasn't long after that, that Ginny joined them sitting down next to Pippa.

“Hi guys, sorry, I didn’t want to sit on my own at the Gryffindor table, and I really didn’t want to be stuck with my brothers on my first day.” She commented before grabbing an apple and eating quietly.

“Hey Ginny” Elara addressed the red head.

“Hi Elara, you looking forward to your second year?” Ginny asked.

“I guess, I would like it more if I didn’t have potions with Snape today, but at least its double Herbology first.” 

“ELARA” an equally tall brunette with hair down to her waist from the Hufflepuff table called out.

“Calli’s calling, I better run.” Elara commented before climbing out of the bench.

“See you later Luna, and good luck with your first day girls” Elara continued with a wink.

There was a small chorus of goodbyes before Elara made her way over to her own house table, where she was greeted by smiling faces of all ages. It was then that it occurred to Lizzy, that Hufflepuff was the house that mixed years far more than any of the others. The girl who had called Elara over, Calli, looked to be a year or two older again.

 

It was in that moment, that the owls burst into the hall delivering the morning post. There was a clattering and a mess on the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron and Hermione sat, causing the four first years to divert their attention to their table. Lizzy took a small and sharp intake of breath when she realised what had been delivered to Ron.

“What’s that?” Pippa enquired, not sure why the other witches were looking so worried.

“It’s a howler.” Lizzy stated quite simply. “You only get one if someone is really angry at you. They yell and everything.” She continued.

After a few moments of clear debating, Ron began to open the small red envelope before it jumped to life and began ranting at Ron in a woman’s voice about the car.

“Oh no, it’s from mum” Ginny said.

The girls looked on with worried expressions between them as Ron was edging back on the bench getting yelled at by his mother in the form of an envelope. Part way though the howler turned to find Ginny at the Ravenclaw table, and congratulated her in a much gentler tone for making it into Gryffindor, before turning back to Ron. If she had wanted to lay low as a Weasley before, she wasn’t going to be able to now.

“What did your brother’s do?” Lizzy asked when the howler had finally finished and people began to go back to what they had previously been doing.

Pippa glared at Lizzy for calling Harry her brother so casually, but it was ignored as Ginny explained.

“They didn’t make it onto the platform in time yesterday, so they stole dad’s flying car, and crashed it.”

“Why would they do that?” Lizzy stated absolutely baffled at the lack of logic of the two boys. “Please don't tell me all Gryffindor’s are this reckless, between being friends with you two and the inevitability of being around your brothers, I would like to make it to the end of the school year alive. If fact, scratch that, I want to survive the week!”

“Oh don't be so dramatic, haven’t you ever done something reckless before?” Pippa asked.

“No, I haven’t, and I wasn’t planning on starting.”

“I don't think you have to be spontaneous Lizzy, you need to be quick thinking enough to keep up with them.” Luna spoke reminding Lizzy that she was still there.

“So I guess it's a good thing I’m in Ravenclaw then.”

“I guess it is.” Said Pippa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for sticking around, more to come soon x


End file.
